Sublimation printing transfers your design onto a material or fabric using ink and heat. Scientifically speaking, it is the transition of a substance directly from a solid-state to a gas state. It doesn't pass through the usual liquid state and occurs at specific temperatures and pressures.
The process starts with printing onto a special sheet of paper, then transferring the design on to another material. This usually has to be polyester or a polyester mix for fabrics or a special polymer coating on items like mugs and coasters. The ink is then heated until it is permantly printed onto the face of the product.
A small sublimation set-up is simple and requires very little investment. Depending on the size of product you want to produce, a sublimation small format set up should be sufficient.
1. Print a design onto special sublimation paper.
2. Heat press the design onto your chosen product. The inks turn into gas when heated, then combine to permanently print. The effects are less prone to fading than some other priting methods, as the ink is embedded rather than simply layed on top.
3. The result is a permanent, full colour image that won’t crack, peel or wash away.
(Example images)
[Include business case with costs]
Garments with a polyester or a polyester mix fabric or various blanks with a special polymer coating (such as our mugs and coasters).
Heat press (for mugs, a specific mug press is required)
Computer or tablet for designing
It isn't possible to sublimate on dark coloured garments because there is no white sublimation ink.
It is entirely possible for a print from a sublimation printer to look different to the image on your computer screen. This is because sublimation inks often change colour during the heat pressing process. As the ink reacts when it is heated, it sometimes becomes brighter and more vibrant than the image printed on the sublimation paper. We would highly recommend that, during your testing stage, you heat press the image on to a product to see the final result before beginning a batch order.
No. You need a continuous, even heat and pressure to be applied simultaneously to the entire surface area. This can only be effectively achieved using a heat press.
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